Corruption
by PXLight
Summary: The Power of the King is both a gift and a curse. Lelouch loses control of this burden and finally crumbles, unleasing a darkness that had been born from deep within. AU Critics much appreciated.
1. Death of an Immortal

**Disclaimer**: Code Geass and all of its characters/plot belong to Goro Taniguchi and Ichiro Okouchi (and any other people who insist that they own this amazing anime).

**Summary**: The Power of the King is both a gift and a curse. Lelouch loses control of this burden and finally crumbles, unleashing a darkness that had been born from deep within.

A/N: For the New Year (kind of), I'm trying out a new fandom that I've wanted to write for in the past. Lelouch is beautiful, yes, but I'm not ready to write a pairing fic until I've had a better grasp with Code Geass. And so I'll start with an AU fic with sprinkles of pairing-ness because this is the style I'm more used to. I will try my best to remain accurate, but this is my first Code Geass fic, so I'm warning you ahead of time.

Oh yeah, just because this is my first CG fic doesn't mean I'm an inexperienced writer =P (though English is STILL my second language .).

And the prologue is always the shortest chapter (aside from the epilogue... maybe). I promise that the next chapters of this story will be at least 6 times longer.  
Hope you're interested!

* * *

C2 sat alone outside on a park bench in her black, lavender, and yellow attire; her Black Knights uniform. Despite Lelouch's warnings to avoid too much public contact, she still insisted that she ignore it and followed her own desires. It was late at night and though she knew that she should probably try and get some sleep, the immortal being knew that in the end, it was all utterly pointless.

Lelouch, her accomplice, had insisted that she stayed here while he went on his new mission as Zero. She didn't bother being defiant against his wishes this time; for some reason, she felt as though it would be best if she did stay behind this mission. There seemed to be some unknown force telling her to stay behind.

"_Perhaps I have regained a conscious..."_ she thought to herself quietly, keeping on the same callous look she always seemed to have on these days. _"...Though I'm not entirely sure whether I should be happy or sad about gaining such a trivial human trait..."_

She looked up at the moon. The round white disk shone brightly amongst the stars residing in the night sky. Its beauty was cascaded by the pollution of the city, but somehow, the moon's feelings still managed to reach the hearts of those who gazed right into it. There were still some aspects of Area 11 that remained beautiful and untouched.

Out of nowhere, her calm demeanor had vanished. It had been instantly replaced by a searing pain that had shot from her Geass insignia that was permanently marked onto her forehead declaring her immortality. The sign's glow was dim, but to C2's eyes, it was as though the light was blinding. She shut her eyes as she fell from the bench and began to clutch onto her head in pain. No one was around the park at this time, so there were no witnesses. This just meant that she was to be left alone to suffer without anyone acknowledging what was occurring... as it always was in the past anyways.

Tears began to pour from her eyes as images flashed into her mind. Death, pain suffering; black and white movements that always seemed to come anytime something of this manner occurred. Her sense of self was immediately lost as it felt as though she were hastily pulled from her personage and thrown into nothingness.

However, in the pitch darkness, C2 noticed that a single pair of demonic eyes came from this darkness and burned into her soul. She had never seen such a pair before, yet at the same time, a nostalgic feeling seemed to wash over her as she returned the stare. Though the eyes bore the Geass insignia, instead of its normal crimson tone, the shining mark was surrounded by a solid black that almost blended in with the darkness around the two figures.

As she continued to stare, the black and red eyes seemed to move closer to her, their soft glow the only thing that wasn't menacing about this situation. C2 tensed up as the creature approached towards her; she had been in the most insane situations and hardly panicked, but for some reason, she couldn't shake off the feeling of despair that came with this.

"_I now know that this conscious is a curse..."_ she mentally retorted. She couldn't help but make sarcastic jokes in tense situations.

As the being grew nearer, C2 noticed that an outline began to form. Details of its face and body structure began to become more and more noticeable. She could even hear the tapping of its feet become audible. She could only watch as the being, which she learned was a man, walk slowly towards her.

Soon, the two were face-to-face.  
And despite all of the forewarning C2 had experienced, she still felt as though she hadn't been expecting what she saw before her.

The demonic eyes belonged to Lelouch in his Zero cloak, bereft of his mask. However, a different aura seemed to emanate from him. She could sense a darker presence in his self that didn't belong to him. Lelouch had a maniacal look all over his face and the amount of blood on him made it seem as though he had just bathed in it recently. His smile was twisted and his eye seemed to be permanently wide open. The mark of Geass was on the back of his un-gloved left hand which held a sword coated in blood.

"...What happened?" C2 asked as calmly as she could. She was unsure as to how she should proceed with this situation considering Lelouch's unstableness. The man in front of her didn't say a word; it seemed as though he wasn't even aware that she was there. "Lelouch?" she said a bit louder. Noticing that he didn't seem to notice her, she moved to try and touch him cautiously, but just as her hand landed on his shoulder, Lelouch suddenly stabbed her through the heart.

C2's eyes flared in surprised as her body slipped off the blade, adding more blood to its collection, and fell to the ground in more pain. She was immortal; something like this wouldn't kill her. However, in this situation, she felt as though she were dying from the inside out. She could only watch as she grew cold and pale on the ground over the flurry of tears in her eyes which were clouding her vision. Lelouch began to laugh manically; he seemed to enjoy the pain he brought upon her even though he should've known she couldn't kill her.

"...Le...louch..." C2 breathed out in a small murmur. Her energy was being drained rapidly, yet she wasted it on trying to speak. Her voice was barely audible over Lelouch's cackling. "...What... happened...?"

At that question, Lelouch stopped laughing and then bent down slowly to face C2. He still had the same twisted look on his face. "...You did this to me." he hissed. "...This... this wasn't me... I couldn't have killed them all... I couldn't..."

"...What... are you talking... about...?"

"...Didn't you hear me?" Lelouch replied softly. C2 didn't have the energy to respond, but taking this wrong, the exiled prince snapped. "I said DIDN'T you HEAR me?" He clutched onto the sword tighter and lifted it above his head. "You damn witch... because of you EVERYONE'S DEAD, you HEAR me?" He then plunged the sword down, stabbing C2 repeatedly. Her blood splashed onto her face and he took a moment to take a finger, run it down his face, and sip on it. The blood was like ecstasy to him. "You have to DIE!" With one final stab, he drove the sword down C2's stomach and left the blade there.

However, the girl didn't even feel it.  
Despite everything, she had already died.

* * *

A/N: Note to all readers – I'm introducing a new form of Geass (or Geass stage anyway) over the course of the plot; classic style but with my naturally dark plot twists, but surprisingly brilliant ending. Why I'm telling you this? Because none of you know of my writing style.

Eww... only 1000 words? Too short for my liking, but there seems to be nothing else I can do with the matter; it is only the introduction after all. Feel free to R&R, though know that this is just the prologue and is nowhere NEAR the normal amount I write. See you all soon! =)

And I'm looking for a beta-reader, so if you would like to offer your services...


	2. Loss of Truth

**Disclaimer**: Code Geass and all related do not belong to me.

A/N: I'm back! So most of this story will be in Lelouch's POV unless I get moody or something of the sort... Don't expect quick updates; unfortunately with the kick-off to semester two, I've got a lot on my hands considering the trademark Asian reputation I developed at school (I actually have to attend a math/science event against my will tomorrow... do you know of the hellish nightmare that is being surrounded by a bunch of nerds whom people suspect will be the future leaders and shut-ins of our nation?) I'm going to be REALLY busy... *sigh* I'll try my best to dish them out, but motivation is MUCH needed (*cough*reviews*cough*)

Just a reminder: this is an AU fic, so leave now or forever hold your peace.  
As for timelines... sometime in R2.  
And the style I write unfortunately assumes that you know what happened in the actual anime; I only wrote recaps to help let the story flow in my mind.

Enough about my issues!  
I just hope you enjoy! =)

* * *

The first thing that vanished from my life was the truth.

I could only look around me as anything I had first thought was real completely collapsed before my eyes. All that was left was the false guise of its prior presence and the empty feeling of regret and mourning. There was nothing that could come from lies, yet we all insist on continually hiding the truth from others in order to move forward, though that too is but an illusion.

The society I, Lelouch vi Britannia, resided in was corrupt from the adults who constantly held their status over other's heads, bringing upon pain and suffering to those who failed to be born on their side. In this case, the Britannians were over the Numbers. What they fail to comprehend is how status is nothing but a simple word that pretended to have meaning. Dukes, Barons, and the such; they are all in over their heads.

Of course, I was fortunate enough to be born into the lucky side. Not just that, but into the Royal family; high above the rest of the world. However, at such a young age, I fully grasped the fact that yes; titles had no meaning and as such can be forcibly taken away from you instantly leaving behind the same regret and mourning lies brought upon the soul.

I opened my eyes and snapped out of my thought trance. I was still in bed; the bottom side of the bunk located in my room of the Student Council clubhouse. I looked to the side where my silver alarm clock resided on the black bedside table and realized that it was seven already. Sighing in defeat, I removed the covers from over my personage and got up. I was only in a white tee and black pants; the same attire I had on last night underneath my student uniform. Fortunately, the Black Knights needn't me at the time and so I can continue to go on through life at Ashford.

I sat up over the side of the bed and sighed while clasping my hands and leaning forward over my knees. I closed my eyes and relaxed myself as though entering prayer.

"_Life..."_ I thought to myself. _"...Yet another lie I must carry."_

After building up enough energy, I willed myself off the bed and into the shower to wash up before changing into my uniform; a black clip-over jacket with yellow trim bearing the Ashford insignia on the neck collar along with matching black slacks. I never really attended my first period class considering that I already had enough credits to graduate anyways.

I soon walked out of my dorm and made my way to the rooftop to take a breather. I simply wanted time to relax and think before truly entering the life of an average schoolboy. However, as I opened the door that led to freedom, I heard a single voice on the other side. From the sounds of things, he was talking on the phone with someone. I opened the door just a bit and noticed that it was my old childhood friend, Suzaku Kururugi. He was in the same uniform I was. As I suspected, he was on the phone; too pre-occupied with the conversation to realize I had come upon him. I tried to listen in and figure out what he was saying.

"Yes, I have yet to make contact with him." Suzaku explained to the person on the other side of the line. "I understand that after Zero's return there has been more suspicion on him regaining his memories, but considering what has happened recently in the Chinese federation, it has been becoming harder and harder for me to believe that... yes, I understand." And with that, Suzaku hung up before walking over to the edge of the rooftop and looking around at the scenery the campus provided.

I figured that this would be as good of a time as any to make my entrance.

"Oh, Suzaku, what are you doing here?"

Suzaku looked to the direction of my voice as I opened the door completely and walked into the scene casually, trying my best to hide the fact that I had just overheard his conversation. Of course, it wasn't new knowledge to me that Suzaku was trying to figure out whether my memories of my little sister Nunally and of me being Zero or a Britannian prince have returned. However, it was good to know that all my tactics to avoid suspicion on my absence from here to commandeer the Black Knights were succeeding as even Suzaku began to doubt his mission.

"Lelouch, it's good to see you." Suzaku replied as he looked over his shoulder and flashed a smile at me. I smiled back as I walked to his right side and absorbed the scenery before me. The weather was simply perfect and I calmed instantly.

"Shouldn't you be in class, Suzaku?" I inquired, mainly to break the ice between us. I could already tell that there seemed to be something off about the pilot of the Lancelot Knightmare frame. Suzaku raised an eyebrow while looking away and tilting his head from side to side.

"Ehh... I guess I should be." he replied. He then created a firm gaze that focused on my casual look as though examining me. Unfortunately, it seemed as though he had come up with nothing and looked away. "How about you, Lelouch?" he asked.

"Oh, I thought you already knew I usually skip first period..."

"...No, not that."

"What?" I looked at him curiously. I had suspected that he would simply return the question thus rendering my attempt to break the silence a complete and utter failure. However, I was wrong. A short breeze whipped between us as though on cue as a silence followed while I waited for Suzaku to respond. Finally, the knight began to move; he lifted his right arm and sifted into his pant pocket until he found a small silver locket; an oval about the weight and size of the same locket I had given to Rolo, my fake brother. He removed it and then handed it to me.

My fingers slipped in the middle the latch and forced open the crevice it was keeping together to flip it open. Inside, I gazed at a picture of Euphemia smiling back at the homeland. She was in the Aries Villa.

"It's her birthday today..." Suzaku explained quietly. Another warm breeze blew through his chestnut hair as he turned to face me again. This time, he was much easier to read. His emerald eyes were swimming with sorrow and despite the sunlight; his face was a little paler than its usual Asian tone.

I remembered that he and Euphie, my half-sister, were in love before she was shot to death by the leader of the Order of the Black Knights; Zero. Zero tore them apart before they could live their desires out. It was after the ceremony to erect the Specially Administrated Zone of Japan; my Geass went out of control in the wrong moment and I accidentally forced Euphemia to 'kill all of the Japanese' thus causing the massive bloodbath and ridiculing her name for the remainder of the Elevens that survived.

"...I'm sorry to hear that, Suzaku." I replied softly. "I know that you were her knight and..." I stopped myself there. If I continued that sentence, I may trigger a consequence that I would have gladly avoided if I had a second chance. I didn't want to provoke Suzaku; especially in his depressed state. I knew first-hand that his anger knew no bounds and his passion and love drove him to limits one can hardly comprehend.

"Thank you, Lelouch." Suzaku replied. He sighed and moved to sit on the ground. I immediately followed. We both leaned against the concrete barrier forming the edges of the roof and looked towards the door we had both come from at some point today. There was another silence as we were left alone with our thoughts before Suzaku spoke once more. "What do you think of Zero...?"

The question didn't catch me by surprise; I had been half-expecting it to come out sooner or later. I had already planned an answer for when this question came previously, but I closed my eyes, allowed a breath to escape from my mouth, and let it go. I looked to him with the most truthful look I could muster. "Zero... he's no terrorist." I replied callously. "But at the same time, he is no patriot."

"What do you mean?" I could tell that by the look on his face, Suzaku became intrigued with my answer. I looked to my feet in order to escape his judging look and continued.

"When you think about it, Zero is like no other terrorist Britannia has ever seen. Everything that has happened seems to stride towards a greater purpose unlike the other resistance groups who seem to have no organization or plan whatsoever. He fights for both Britannians and the Japanese." I paused for a moment to ponder on what I was to say next. I could tell that Suzaku was about to interject, so I forced myself to continue on and cut him off. "But... he killed Shirley's father and your princess. Surely, there must be a reason, but I'm not sure I can think of anything other than that it was needed to bring forth the big picture; the greater purpose that all his plans were leading to."

"Lelouch... are you..."

I finally broke away from looking to my shoes and stared directly into his eyes, causing him to flinch and break off the remainder of his question. "No, I am not Zero." I stated calmly before breaking out into a joking smile. "Oh c'mon, I can't believe you're so serious! Loosen up; I can't believe that you would even think that! How can I be a terrorist?" I started to laugh like an idiot, but realizing that Suzaku remained quiet, I stopped. "I-Is there something wrong, Suzaku...?" I asked quietly.

Suzaku continued to look down. "No Lelouch... I'm sorry I doubted you here and now." he replied softly. Even I could tell what he was really thinking.

"_You be a terrorist... you'd be surprised if you truly did remember."_

I could tell that my reply didn't really confirm his suspicions, but they helped bring bloom to the seed of doubt I have sown into his mind. I knew I let on too much, but Suzaku would've been even more suspicious if I gave him a weak response on purpose. It's obvious why I have the same mindset as Zero; the only difference it is my mission to reveal is that Lelouch Lamperouge cannot be the man behind the mask.

I really did want to break the silence then and there, but I didn't know how. So I simply sat and thought beside him peacefully. It would be a long time before I would ever be able to sit down like this with him considering what had occurred in our pasts; or at least the past Suzaku assumed I didn't remember. We could never be friends ever since what happened in Kanime Island, but because of our presence here and the guise we were forced to continue, this, the mask of friendship, was the mask we wore together.

He was Suzaku and I was Lelouch.  
He was the White Death and I was Zero.

We appeared the be the same childhood friends we were before, but underneath these near transparent lies laid the undeniable fact that we hated who we truly were.

The bell signalling the completion of period one finally rang, but Suzaku and I still took our time to get up from our positions. It wasn't as though we had a true place in this school. We both still felt like outsiders despite the welcoming treatment Ashford has provided.

"Are you going to class?" Suzaku asked as he sighed and got up before helping me up as well.

"By the looks in your eye, I don't suppose I have a choice either way. Besides, you're in my class. Don't we have that project together due next week?"

The Knight of Seven chuckled. "Hehe, good point. Alright, we'll walk together then."

"I guess you need some company considering that she was..."

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's none of your concern anyway." The way he spoke was so calculated, but even I could see right past it. He was still hurt by the idea of being with Euphie's murderer, but we both knew that we had to maintain the mask of friendship.

"Very well."

Suzaku then got to the door first with me close behind and with that, we headed down to class.

* * *

Eventually, class was over and done with for the day. Somehow, Suzaku managed to force me into attending everything today. Even the teachers were surprised to see the both of us here all day. Because he sat beside me, I couldn't even use one of my tactics to sleep in class. I unfortunately made the mistake of doing that once before and after he pointed it out to the class, I got into an argument with the teacher (which I still somehow won while I was half-asleep at the time; it wasn't too hard) followed by a tongue lashing from Principal Ashford as well.

I got up from my desk and avoided everyone today. For some reason, I didn't feel like seeing anyone. However, Rolo's persistence still got to me even today.

"Nii-san!" he called out as he ran to my side. Despite my wish for solitude, I submitted to his call and stopped in my tracks before turning to face the brown-haired boy.

"Rolo, it's nice to see you." I replied kindly.

He nodded back enthusiastically. "You too, big brother!" he exclaimed. "I haven't seen you all day and you didn't meet me outside the gates where we usually meet today. I thought something had happened..."

"Oh, I was forced to go through the ordeal of attending every single one of my classes today thanks to a certain Knight of the Round." I rolled my eyes and the two of us began to walk to the Student Council clubhouse. Rolo chuckled a bit at the annoyance I presented for the situation and I could only chuckle. "So how was your day, little brother?" I asked to start a conversation. One of my own pet peeves was walking with someone in silence; the awkward atmosphere was simply unnerving.

"It was alright." Rolo replied. "But I have a lot of homework to do for tomorrow. Umm... could you help me, big brother?"

"Of course." I gave him a peaceful smile and Rolo smiled back.

It didn't take long for the both of us to get to the clubhouse. I told him to wait for me elsewhere before I entered my room once more to grab my second phone to get in contact and receive an update from the Black Knights. However, what I found was another surprise.

"C2, what are you doing here?" I asked dumbfounded. The green-haired immortal sitting over the edge of my mattress didn't respond. She had a shocked expression on her face. Her gaze was completely blank and it looked as though she had been sitting here all day. "And how did you get past everyone without anyone getting suspicious about your Black Knight uniform?"

Only then did C2 show any sign of recognition. "Lelouch!" Her voice jumped in surprise. She then moved away by making her way to the farthest corner of the room. I moved closer to try and comfort her, but she flinched and braced herself. I sighed and moved back to my spot by the doorframe. I could see her relax a bit more, but otherwise, she was still rather tense.

"What's wrong C2?" I inquired curiously. I had never seen her like this. There weren't many things in the world that could trigger such an intense reaction from her; let alone scare her as much as she seemed as though. Her entire being resonated pure fear; the strangest thing was that this fear seemed to be targeted on my very presence. "It's just me; Lelouch. I'm not going to bite."

Once again, I did my best to make contact and the closest I got was sitting on the same mattress as her. She refused to let me get any closer than that as she huddled tightly in the corner.

"Lelouch... I-I'm... s-sorry..." She seemed so shaken up. I gave her a light smile to try and calm her, and then patted to the empty space beside me, signalling for her to come and sit beside me. It took a while, but finally she succumbed to the offer and moved beside me before hugging me tightly and bursting into tears. Out of pity, I stroked her hair slowly and softly to try and get her to calm down. After about thirty minutes, C2 finally returned to her normal posture; or at least achieved a state where I could talk to her normally.

"Now tell me... what happened."

"I... had a dream."

I gave her a look of confusion. Something as simple as a dream surely wasn't enough to rattle C2 like this. But nevertheless, it happened. All I could guess was that this must have been an intense dream.

"If you think you could describe what happened to me, then maybe I can help you." I replied softly. I didn't want to really get her to tell me too many details in order to avoid her bursting into tears once more.

C2 simply nodded. "It was m-more than a dream... i-it was a Geass-inflicted...nightmare..." She looked at me with a bolder and confident look. She also managed to stop stuttering. "In it, you were there. And you killed me." She looked away from my eyes. I can tell that for an immortal, something like death wouldn't be an issue. But considering what she was telling me, the dream must have felt more on the lines of a premonition; almost as though it were a prediction for the near future. And with that, it's easy to tell that this must've been pretty traumatic.

"Why did I kill you?" I asked. It wasn't even in a hypothetical or sarcastic tone. I was intrigued by what she was telling me.

"I'm not sure." She looked to the ground. "You mentioned something about it being my fault... well, the you in the dream... Then you began to cut me into pieces."

"Sounds pretty damn grim." I sighed and got up to pick up the cell phone. "In any case, you should change out of those clothes. If anyone was to catch you, my identity would be compromised instantly and we wouldn't want that, now would we."

"...You don't care about what I have to say?"

"There was more to it?" I raised an eyebrow sceptically.

"...Never mind."

"That's what I thought."

I could tell that C2 was still in shock after that apparent nightmare that had occurred and I perceived that she was quite offended by the method I chose to shake the topic off. Her body language also seemed to let on the fact that yes, there actually was more to tell me, but she couldn't bring it upon herself to let the information spill. In defeat, instead of just walking out the door, I sat back beside her and slung my arm around her. I then whispered into her ear softly and tenderly. "No matter what, it was just a dream. It didn't happen. You can relax, alright? And know that you will always be safe with me. We are accomplices, right?"

C2 nodded and did her best to cheer up. "I'll get back to the Ikaruga then." She got up and began to push me out the door. Eventually, I caught on to what she was implying and left.

I was no pervert.

* * *

"Zero, what is it that you want?"

Deithard watched as I, the masked vigilante, walked into his office. The Britannian reporter had developed an obsession to capture the history and story of Zero as it developed before his eyes. This was the main reason he had joined the Order of the Black Knights.

It was clear the reason as to why I was only able to visit in the night. I could only travel in the dark when visiting Deithard's inter-city located abode. Still, despite the cover of the shadows, considering how populated the area just beyond the reporter's door was, it was still a wonder to the Britannian journalist as to how Zero made it here every single time without causing even a single bit of commotion.

To me, the explanation would go along the lines of "Geass".

"Have you finished the updates on the location of the new Viceroy like I have asked you to?"

Deithard nodded. "Of course." He shuffled around with the mess of papers on his desk until he found the file that I had been wondering about. He then placed it into my outstretched leather-gloved hand. Through the mask, my eyes scanned the document and found that they had spotted the Viceroy of Area 11 safely under the care of Odysseus la Britannia. Odysseus was Nunally's only ally; at least according to these reports, that was true.

"If you don't mind me by mentioning it, Zero, you seem to have a particular connection with the Viceroy." Deithard stated.

"What of it?" I replied coldly.

Deithard was hesitant to continue, but he still spoke nonetheless. "Well, it's quite peculiar considering who she is and who you are. She is a princess of the Holy Britannian Empire and you're Zero, the terrorist trying to revolutionize the world."

I chuckled softly to myself from underneath the mask. I was wondering when someone was going to bring it up. I figured that many have noticed by now, but only Deithard was brave enough to bring the topic to fruition. Typical of him. "If you wanted to know, yes, I am very particular about Nunally vi Britannia and her status. She is no ordinary Viceroy; the girl is crippled in more ways than one and it is clear that she is being used as a political tool by the Emperor." I hardly noticed as I began to clench his teeth angrily at the thought. "However, she is quite important to my plans. She must remain unharmed at all costs or else it will drastically hinder our mission to free Japan completely from Britannian clutches."

"Are you taking pity on her?"

"No."

Deithard had expected a bit more of a response, but this is Zero he was talking to. He was used to short responses by now. The man underneath the mask was hardly human; he couldn't talk to me like he would to someone with a face. The reporter chuckled to himself before turning back to his work.

"Very well then, Zero. We will continue to monitor the Viceroy's status for as long as you tell us. If she truly is as vital to your plans as you make her out to be, then we will guarantee her safety for as long as we possibly can."

"Thank you, Deithard." I replied. I then proceeded to walk towards another part of his office where Kallen and C2 were casually talking to each other, much to my surprise. As soon as I entered the premises, they both stopped talking and put their full attention on the terrorist commander.

"Lelouch, it's nice to see you." Kallen greeted. They were out of earshot from anyone else who may be listening, so they could talk in that matter. I removed the mask from my face; the burden was quite heavy both metaphorically and physically as well.

"As do I, Kallen." I replied in my normal stagnant tone. I then turned to the green-haired witch who had once again returned into her Black Knight uniform and gave her a sceptical look. "I see you're looking better." I stated. "Though I thought you said you would be waiting in the Ikaruga."

"Thank you for your concern and yes, I do believe I said that, didn't I?" C2 gave me a mischievous look and I could only roll my violet eyes. "Speaking of which, you sure did reveal a lot up there. I bet you have Deithard wondering about the true nature of your relationship with Nunally. You have to be careful; that man may be able to deduct your true identity."

"Even if he could do that, he wouldn't leave the Black Knights." I walked towards a map and looked at it carefully. I began traced around the borders of the Britannian Empire out of sheer boredom before turning my attention to the little country of Japan. If someone other than me were to look at the comparison, even they wouldn't hesitate to think that a full-out war with the invincible empire would be unwinnable. However, I managed to get them all the way here; I knew it was possible to topple Britannia and I, as Zero, have proved it. "That man doesn't care about who I am underneath the mask. He wants to simply make the symbol of Zero appear a martyr to the face of society."

"You have a point there." Kallen replied.

"Zero!" Deithard suddenly called out. I quickly put on his mask and turned to face the Britannian who had suddenly come rushing into the room.

"What is it?"

"You just received a distress call and a request for back-up. Oghi just called in claiming that he and the B group encountered the Knight Police and are in need of assistance."

I thought for a moment in solitude. As of now, different portions of the Black Knights were simply dealing with the crimes of the world through a variety of small missions. However, Oghi's group had been assigned to bust a Refrain warehouse found on the west side of Tokyo. It didn't surprise me that they would encounter some difficulties, though from the sound of their distress call, I knew that I had to help or risk losing valuable members.

"Very well." I replied. "Though I need to continue to keep my operations a secret, I will be coming to their aid myself. Kallen, you are to come as well?"

"Yes Zero." Kallen replied. She turned to C2. "Are you coming as well?"

"Yes." she said bluntly.

"However, we'll be using the Burais we have down in the basement." I continued. "Kallen, you will leave your Guren stationed here."

"Wait, why?"

"Just trust me."

Kallen raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but she figured that she better just go along with me. That was the kind of mindset of Kallen Kouzuki. She didn't know what to expect, but as long as she saw results, she didn't really mind the method I chose. "Okay then, I'll go with what you have to say." And with that, we all headed down and boarded the Burais; Kallen taking her own individual Knightmare while C2 and I shared the other, myself piloting the weapon while she sat back behind me for the ride.

"Deithard, just stay here." I commanded. "I need you to keep watch. We shouldn't take too long."

"Yes, Zero." Without a single moment of hesitation, the man walked back up and behind his desk to resume work as though nothing happened. Kallen and I burst down the tunnel which made up the secret exit for Deithard's office before coming into the open and racing towards the Refrain warehouse where, unbeknownst to me, a trap of epic proportions awaited.

* * *

It didn't take long for our two Knightmares to arrive at the giant Refrain warehouse where we last heard of Kaname Oghi. The warehouse itself was huge and resided right beside a small but rather polluted river. It seemed to have been abandoned a while ago, but ever since it had been occupied by people once more, it had become a lot messier. There were signs of recent combat, but the most bizarre thing was that as of now, there was no commotion whatsoever. It was as though the warehouse had returned to its abandoned state.

"Zero, Oghi and the others might be..."

"We'll have to be wary." I said lathered with caution. "The enemy may be there waiting for us and it is possible that they have set up an ambush. He may use Oghi and anyone else he has captive as hostages. Considering the rank of some of those people in the Order, the hostage ploy would have considerable effect on our rescue plan."

Kallen then made a reckless decision. Why she did it was beyond me, but I couldn't help but wonder as she suddenly charged into the warehouse without any given command.

"Kallen—"I cried out over the channel. However, I was too late; she had already entered. The Black Knight ace didn't even bother talking to me as she searched through the building in search of her lost comrades. The strangest thing was how there didn't seem to be any shots fired. I could hear the screeching tires of the Burai, but otherwise nothing. I sat there in silence; anticipating the green light to enter or an urgent distress call that needed my attention immediately.

"Zero, I think you should come see this." It took a while for Kallen to respond, but I was simply happy that she survived on her own considering the lack in number.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure. I think only you can figure it out."

"Very well." I looked back to C2 who simply shrugged. I could tell that she seemed to be anticipating something and so did I. The lack of fighting had confused me considering that this was a Refrain warehouse and those working in there wouldn't give up their goods and money that easily. Plus, why would Oghi send out a distress call in this situation?

I warily made my way into the warehouse. For some reason, all the lights were turned off and I was forced to use my Burai's night vision. I removed my mask for more comfort as well. As the fact-spheres opened up and examined the environment, I couldn't help but notice the lack of any signs of life. I knew Kallen had responded, but I couldn't see her. All I could see were boxes, tables, and other metal items. I didn't notice any bodies, blood, gunshot holes, or Refrain for that matter.

I made my way deeper into the factory. I made sure to disable the hydraulic pump system which gave me a boost from the legs seeing that I would need incredible manoeuvrability due to the height limit and many large metal crates. Behind me, C2 seemed to be acting a bit more nervously than usual, but something like that wasn't enough to throw off my confidence.

"Kallen, can you read me? Where are you?" I called out through the speakers. This situation was simply way too bizarre for me. I waited for a response, but all I got was the soft crackle of the static between our channel. Why wouldn't she answer me?

"Is anybody out there?" I cried out. "Black Knights, this is Zero. Please respond now!" I waited once more while searching with a bit more worry, but still the unbearable silence remained. "Damn..." I hissed. Could there be a silent assassin in my midst? Could he have possibly killed off my soldiers without me even realizing. Could this really be a trap and I didn't know it?

I turned to C2 who hadn't talked to me at all.

At the moment, I truly acknowledged the fact that something was wrong.

The green-haired witch's mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear anything come out of it. Out of nowhere, a barrage of bullets cascaded from the air, but they didn't seem to be strong enough to pierce through the strong armour of my KMF. I turned to face the source of the rattling of bullets against the metal; the interlopers, but for some reason, I could only see the outline of their bodies. The outlines revealed their improper posture, but insistence on shooting at me. The night vision was no use to me as well.

"Die, you impertinent imbeciles." I sneered as I began firing at them. Their reactions seemed to be one of surprise as they didn't even fight back and ducked for cover. I did my best to eliminate them all until my Burai was suddenly tackled by another and C2 stringently pulled my arm away from the trigger.

Suddenly, sound from my intercom faded in and became gradually louder into what I was experiencing. I realized it was Kallen, the pilot of the Burai who was currently restraining mine. My first instinct was that she was betraying me, but the full extent of her words finally got to me. "Zero, stop! What the hell are you doing? Those are our guys!"

C2 behind me was shouting as well. Only now did I realize this. "Lelouch, stop it! They didn't do anything!"

I blinked twice in confusion. I would believe that my face read utter innocence and obliviousness. I had no idea what went wrong. I looked back at the monitor and it turns out that my previous assumptions of the scene were wrong. There were massive signs of war here. Blood seemed to be in every inch of the area and broken Refrain vials were scattered. In the direction of where I was firing laid defenceless comrades. Those who survived came out slowly due to lack of fire and attempted to attend to those I had caught. Even without the night vision, it would be pretty easy to distinguish them.

"Whaa... what happened...?" I murmured slowly. "How could I have... mistaken them...?"

"How couldn't you have heard us?" C2 cried out. "I told you that they were right there!"

However, the betrayal of all my senses confused me to the point where I couldn't tell what was right anymore. A wave of dizziness and nausea washed over me and my head slumped over the controls as unconsciousness reigned over my mind. The Burai we were in suddenly collapsed to the side due to lack of control.

Everyone knew that I, Zero, was located in this cockpit. They all rushed to my aid despite their injured comrades. I could feel C2's hands trying to shake me awake while listening to Kallen's desperate calls to my name simply fade off.

The last thing I saw was the sudden flash of red emitting from the witch's Geass insignia.

* * *

"_It's begun..."_

I thought I had finally woken up, but it felt more like I had just died. I didn't feel like myself at all. I shook my head at response to the sudden piercing headache, but it remained.

I realized that for some reason, I was laying on the formless ground. Using my hands, I pushed myself up and shook off any dirt off my Zero suit.

However, what I found was something much different.  
Instead of wiping off dirt, I was wiping off blood.

I flinched in surprise. I was hesitant to look down, but I examined my clothing nonetheless. What I found was that its colours hardly shown. Everything was in a deep crimson hue. It looked as though I bathed in the vile liquid. I was aware of my misperception incident back in the warehouse and lifted my hand subconsciously to remove my mask and maybe improve my eyesight somehow. The only thing was, my mask seemed to have already been off and my hand ended up leaving a streak of blood down my cheek. I felt around my head in surprise. My hair seemed to feel crusty and dry with a substance, but I didn't want to check and see what it was.

I could feel my eyes bugging out in fear as my body crumpled back to the ground. Why was I covered in blood? What happened? Where am I?

My eyes widened as my hands somehow made it to the handle of a something. I took off my left glove to get a better feel of what I was touching. Somehow, as though on cue, my vision became a lot brighter and I learned that it was a metre long sword coated in what I guessed was the same blood I was currently drenched in. The thought of that form of bloodbath made me almost throw up in disgust. Fortunately, I still somehow found the strength to hold it in.

With nothing else to do, I picked up the sword and tried to get somewhere. Everywhere around me was coated in a thick layer of darkness. I feared that this may well be yet another illusion; a trick my eyes were playing on me like before. However, I had no choice but to go with it.

I walked on through the darkness like a hungry injured animal. I felt rather worn out and focused my energy on just getting somewhere. I wanted to somehow escape the thoughts of me coated in blood, so after the longest time, I finally found a way to empty my mind of all thoughts. All I was focused on was survival. Somehow, I needed to find a way out of this hellhole.

"_This is only the beginning..."_

Soon, my eyes made their way to a source of light. It was small, but hope can take shape from the smallest of sources. I began to will my body towards it; the sword I continued to drag behind me. I only waited out the torture of _walking _in this condition as I watched myself get closer and closer to the light.

As soon as I was but a few paces, I realized that in the light basked a figure.  
A certain green-haired immortal.

I recognised her figure, but her full identity failed to click into my mind. She had green hair and was wearing black and purple attire. I walked towards her a bit slower and then I realized that she was still alive. She began to shift thus showing signs of consciousness. Soon, she turned to face in my direction. She seemed conscious of my presence.

"_The beginning... of Black Geass!"_

I finally made it right beside her. I didn't know what to do, so I simply watched her. Her eyes examined me closely and though she was no amateur at hiding her expressions, I could see right through her callous attitude. She was hiding her fear at the sight of me. Needless to say, I was not in mint condition, but otherwise...

"...What happened?" she asked me. Or at least, I think she was directing it to me. I hardly had the energy to make an expression, let alone speak. Otherwise, even I had no clue what had occurred previously, so I wouldn't be able to answer if I wanted to. I could only keep watching her.

"Lelouch?" she then said. The name sounded familiar, but I simply couldn't pin on where I've heard it before. She then said the name louder, or by the looks of it anyway. Her body language expressed concern, but the voice simply didn't get through to me as it was drowned out my something else entirely.

"_She's the one who did this to you..."_

My conscious was suddenly thrown into a loop. At first, I felt as though I were in control, but after hearing the voice, the sensation I experience could almost be compared to being thrown in the back seat of a car. The voice was almost not human, but completely recognisable altogether. I was so confused to the point where I was kind of glad the pressure of being in control was lifted off.

The sensation would've lasted if it hadn't been for the girl getting up and touching me.

* * *

A/N: See, if I were to continue, I would reveal too much of the plot too quickly and that is something I plan to avoid. So aha! Cliff-hanger... mwu ha ha ha ha! Also, see? This is the normal length I will try my best to pursue. I told you something around the terms "Prologue: way too short" right?

And for my wanna-be beta-readers (that includes you too if you want to still... the request is still open): I purposely left (a) major mistake(s) on this chapter. If you can find it/them, then you passed the test and have a right to be my BR (lol, I take this kind of thing seriously, alright?)

As for the story itself... it truly is a difficult task to write about that last part. Everything else is fine with me. The plot intends to get darker, but I hope it won't get to the point where I need to change the rating.

And the only reason I updated quicker than I normally do is because I got a larger amount of reviews that I ever expected (and exam week = half days = moar time to procrastinate)! =) So reviews are my motivation... what do you think I want you to do now? See you all soon!


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